1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a phosphate-reduced, granular, builder-containing detergent composition providing improved fabric softening properties through the use of a combination of natural layer silicates and fatty acid condensates obtained by reaction of triglycerides with hydroxyalkyl polyamines.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Phosphate-reduced detergents containing layer silicates as fabric softeners or co-builders are known. For example, European Patent Application No. 26 529 describes a detergent which, in addition to layer silicates, contains anionic surfactants and cationic salts of primary, secondary or tertiary alkylamines or water-soluble quaternary ammonium compounds. The use of surfactant mixtures such as these in detergent formulations can adversely affect the washing result because the cationic and anionic surfactants react undesirably with one another.
According to H. Schott, Journal of American Chemical Society, Vol. 45, 1968, page 414, detergents based on nonionic surfactants and layer silicates do not produce the expected deposition of the layer silicate on cellulose fibers such as cotton for the purpose of softening.
German Patent Application No. 23 34 899 describes granular, builder-containing detergent compositions containing, inter alia, layer silicates. It is known among experts that layer silicates only develop an adequate fabric-softening effect at high temperatures of from 60.degree. C. to 95.degree. C. At lower temperatures, for example in hand washing or in washing with light-duty detergents at 50.degree. C. to 60.degree. C., layer silicates show a distinctly reduced fabric-softening effect.
German Patent No. 19 22 046 describes detergents and washing aids which, in addition to a standard surfactant base, contain as fabric softeners fatty acid condensates obtained by reaction of tri-glycerides of higher fatty acids with hydroxyalkyl polyamine. Fabric softeners such as these develop an adequate fabric-softening effect, particularly at low temperatures, for example in hand washing.